What does "parent" mean?
A person who raises a child (which they have made, adopted, fostered, taken as their own, etc.).
Parent
/ˈpɛəɹənt/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who raises a child (which they have made, adopted, fostered, taken as their own, etc.).
- Grammar: parent is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: agent, ancestor, ancestor, ancestorial.
- Useful contrasts: abandon, babysitter, babysitters.
- Usage evidence: "Let me ask you something, Dad," she began, in a tone of patiently controlled exasperation that every experienced parent is familiar with.
How to use "parent"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "parent" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "parent" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "parent" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "parent" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "parent" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "agent" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "parent", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person who raises a child (which they have made, adopted, fostered, taken as their own, etc.). in-plural, often
"After both her parents were killed in a forest fire, Sonia was adopted by her aunt and uncle."
- 2 an organism (plant or animal) from which younger ones are obtained wordnet
- 3 A person who has had a baby; this person in relation to their child or children. in-plural, often
- 4 a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian wordnet
- 5 A surrogate parent.
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 A third person who has provided DNA samples in an IVF procedure in order to alter faulty genetic material.
- 7 A relative. obsolete
- 8 The source or origin of something.
"Misery is often the parent of the most affecting touches in poetry."
- 9 An organism from which a plant or animal is immediately biologically descended.
- 10 Sponsor, supporter, owner, protector. attributive
"The dinghy was trailing astern at the end of its painter, and Merrion looked at it as he passed. He saw that it was a battered-looking affair of the prahm type, with a blunt snout, and like the parent ship, had recently been painted a vivid green."
- 11 Sponsor, supporter, owner, protector.; A parent company. attributive
"The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them[…]is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies.[…]current tax rules make it easy for all sorts of firms to generate[…]“stateless income”: profit subject to tax in a jurisdiction that is neither the location of the factors of production that generate the income nor where the parent firm is domiciled."
- 12 The object from which a child or derived object is descended; a node superior to another node.
- 13 The nuclide that decays into a daughter nuclide.
Verb
- 1 To act as parent, to raise or rear.
"However, even with money and caregivers, the child is left without a parent and most likely without a plan for their emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being. A time will come when you will no longer be able to parent your child, period."
- 2 look after a child until it is an adult wordnet
- 3 To provide a parent object for one or more other objects, which become the children.
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Antonyms
Example
""Let me ask you something, Dad," she began, in a tone of patiently controlled exasperation that every experienced parent is familiar with."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "parent"?
Common synonyms include: agent, ancestor, ancestor, ancestorial, ancestral, ancestral.
How do you use "parent" in a sentence?
"Let me ask you something, Dad," she began, in a tone of patiently controlled exasperation that every experienced parent is familiar with.
How do you pronounce "parent"?
Pronounced /ˈpɛəɹənt/.
Etymology
From Middle English parent, borrowed from Anglo-Norman parent, Middle French parent, from Latin parentem, accusative of parēns (“parent”), present participle of pariō (“I breed, bring forth”).